PATHWAY UK
Teacher competition
Information and entry
template
The Pathway to Inquiry Based Science Teaching
Seven essential features of IBSE
(Levy et al, 2010 in preparation for the PATHWAY project, adapted from Asay and Orgill 2010)
Competition entry form:
Name: Mrs Judy Vatcher
Inquiry activity/lesson title: Heart structure and function
Year group: 10 (GCSE)
Curriculum area/topic: Animal Transport
Brief overview/description of your activity/lesson:
Students pose questions, learn how to make careful observations and relate these
to the function of the heart as an organ to transport blood. They use diagrams,
models, animations and the dissection of a real animal heart to find answers to their
questions. They present their findings to others in the class and end by suggesting
further questions to which they would like to find the answers. They also come up
with a list of advice to give to someone to help them make useful observations
about the heart.
PATHWAY UK Teacher competition entry template
Competition entry form:
Please describe your activity/lesson using the template below and on the following page.
Please feel free to expand the tables as much as you need to.
Please also attach any additional lesson resources you would like to share to your entry email.
Essential
features
of IBSE
Open , guided or
structured
activity?
Activity – what are students
doing? What is the teacher’s
role?
Resources needed (incl.
any technologies & other
people e.g. support
staff/external experts)
Question:
Guided
Students: In pairs, observe photo
of sheep’s heart and describe
what they can see in as much
detail as possible. Then state
what the photo doesn’t tell them
and decide what they would like
to find out. (They formulate
questions)
Teacher: encourages careful
observation and helps students
turn statements into questions.
e.g. “It doesn’t tell you what it’s
made of / how heavy it is / what
animal it came from / what it
smells like / what it’s like inside /
how blood goes through it”….
Can become questions to
encourage further investigation
Photo of sheep’s heart
(available on PPT slide 2)
PATHWAY UK Teacher competition entry template
Essential
features
of IBSE
Open ,
guided or
structured
activity?
Activity – what are students doing?
What is the teacher’s role?
Resources needed (incl.
any technologies & other
people e.g. support
staff/external experts)
Evidence:
Open
Teacher: give students real heart and
dissection equipment. Give brief on
safety. Can they find answers to their
questions? Encourage careful cutting
so they don’t miss / destroy important
evidence and make an accurate
recording of findings
Students: dissect heart
Technician help to provide:
Sheep’s hearts
Gloves
Dissection equipment
(scalpels, scissors,
dissection needle)
Tray and disinfectant
Disposable paper towels
Essential
features of
IBSE
Open ,
guided or
structured
activity?
Activity – what are students doing?
What is the teacher’s role?
Analyse:
Guided
Students: discuss their ideas in pairs
and try to answer their original
questions. Have their observations
raised more questions? If so, what
are they?
Teacher: prompt with additional
questions. What clues do the
students’ observations give about
how the heart works?
Resources needed (incl.
any technologies & other
people e.g. support
staff/external experts)
Competition entry form:
Essential
feature of
IBSE
continued
Open/guided
or structured
activity?
Activity – what are students doing
at this stage? What is the
teacher’s role?
Explain:
Guided
Students: Pairs into fours explain their findings to each
other
Teacher: encourage discussion
about how the heart works to
pump blood / which way does
blood move?
Resources needed (incl.
any technologies & other
people e.g. Support
staff/external experts)
PATHWAY UK Teacher competition entry template
Essential
feature of
IBSE
continued
Open/guid
ed or
structured
activity?
Activity – what are students doing at
this stage? What is the teacher’s
role?
Resources needed (incl.
any technologies & other
people e.g. Support
staff/external experts)
Connect:
Structured
Teacher: Gives
1. Diagram of internal structure of
the heart
2. 3D model
3. Computer with internet access /
downloaded animation showing
heart action
PPT slides 3-5
Printed diagrams of
structure of heart
3D model (more than one
of available)
Computer with internet
access to find videos /
animations of heart action
What extra information do these
resources give? Encourage students
to connect their own observations
and deductions with the diagram,
model and animation.
Encourage discussion about the
functions of each part
Essential feature
of IBSE continued
Open/guided
or structured
activity?
Activity – what are students
doing at this stage? What is
the teacher’s role?
Resources needed (incl.
any technologies & other
people e.g. Support
staff/external experts)
Communicate:
Open
Teacher: Direct students to
record what they have found
out about the structure and
function of the heart
Students: In groups of 4,
produce a record of their
findings, given a choice of
resources
Present their records to the
rest of the class
Poster paper
Modelling clay
Unlabelled diagrams
Digital cameras
Felt pens / pencils
Glue
Essential feature of
IBSE continued
Open/guided
or structured
activity?
Activity – what are
students doing at this
stage? What is the
teacher’s role?
Resources needed (incl.
any technologies & other
people e.g. Support
staff/external experts)
Reflect:
Structured
Teacher gives directions:
Students: Make 4
recommendations to help
someone learn about the
heart from making
observations: “When
studying the structure and
function of the heart, the
points to note are:
1……………………….
2. ………………………
3. ………………………
4. ………………………”
What else do they still
want to find out?
PPT slide 6